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Photo: MANDEL NGAN / AFP
The White House has labeled statements by ex-President Donald Trump as anti-Semitic.
He had accused American Jews of not appreciating his Israel policy enough.
"Donald Trump's statements, as you all know, were anti-Semitic and offensive to both Jews and our Israeli allies," White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre said at a news conference Monday.
Trump has spoken in unison with extremists and anti-Semitic figures for years.
"We must uproot anti-Semitism wherever it rears its ugly head," she said.
Trump claimed on Sunday on the online platform Truth Social, which he co-founded, that no president has done more for Israel than he has.
Somewhat surprisingly, however, "our wonderful evangelicals appreciate this far more than people of the Jewish faith, especially those living in the United States."
Jews in the US need to pull themselves together and appreciate what they have in Israel "before it's too late."
"Clear pattern for someone who has welcomed anti-Semites and extremists into public discourse"
Trump's statements were criticized on Monday by the Jewish organization Anti-Defamation League (ADL), among others.
Her boss Jonathan Greenblatt pointed out that Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner was Jewish and his daughter Ivanka had converted to the Jewish faith.
It is "amazing" that Trump "continues to conjure up age-old anti-Semitic clichés" despite having Jewish children and grandchildren.
He insinuates that Jews are not loyal, he used to suggest that they were greedy or had too much power.
This is a "clear pattern for someone who has welcomed anti-Semites and extremists into public discourse."
Justice Department wants six months in prison for Trump's ex-adviser Bannon
Meanwhile, it has emerged that the US Justice Department is seeking a six-month prison sentence for Steve Bannon, Trump's former chief strategist, for contempt of Congress.
Bannon is a co-founder of the right-wing internet platform »Breitbart« and is one of the most influential voices in the ultra-conservative camp of US politics, which is home to numerous anti-Semites.
Bannon is credited with playing a key role in Trump's surprising success at the time.
Most recently, the investigative committee on the Capitol attack summoned ex-President Donald Trump to testify under oath.
If he doesn't obey the subpoena, the House of Representatives could report him, like Bannon, to the Justice Department for contempt of Congress.
In view of the forthcoming congressional elections, however, time is running out.
dop/dpa